Everybody has the right to work in a safe and healthy environment, so employers need to provide business premises that support the health and wellbeing of their staff. The better your work environment, the more likely your team will enjoy coming to work and will be more productive while they are in the office. Creating a healthy workspace that enhances the wellbeing of your employees can have widespread benefits throughout your business. When you focus on making your business premises a healthier place to work, you should notice your team takes fewer sick days and achieve more in the time they are in the office.
The impact of your building on employee health may not be something you have ever considered. For many business owners, concern about the appearance of the building and whether it makes an excellent first impression on clients is their main worry. Having a business that looks great is important, but having one that looks good and provides a healthy place to work is even better. Here are some of the ways you can make your building a healthier place to work:
Improve Indoor Air Quality
Did you know the quality of your indoor air may be lower than outside air? Working on protecting the air quality in your office is vital and an effective way to prevent your employees from suffering from a whole range of symptoms, including breathing problems, irritated eyes, and headaches. One way to improve air quality is to ensure your air conditioning system is regularly maintained by a professional engineer and the air ducts are cleaned frequently. Keeping up with servicing and maintenance of your cooling system should help reduce the chances of pollutants and debris being distributed through your building and impacting air quality.
Monitor Your Water Quality
Having high-quality drinking water available to your team is an essential requirement. If you have issues with the taste or the quality of water in your building, you may want to consider implementing water disinfection systems and having checks to assess the quality of the water. Drinking poor quality water can cause many different health problems, which is why the EPA has guidelines on water quality designed to protect the health of those who drink it, but these apply to public water systems. If your business’s water supply is from a private source, you may need to carry out further checks to determine the quality of water available in your building.
Check for Hazards
Sometimes, things that could be making your building an unhealthy place to work are not visible. But, just because you cannot see them does not mean they cannot harm the health of your employees. Asbestos can sometimes lurk in a building without you even knowing it is there, especially if your office was built before the 1980s. Asbestos fibers can have a devastating impact on the lungs, so before you have any work carried out on your building, it is best to check there is no asbestos present.
